Lucknow Super Giants pacer Prince Yadav lit up the Ekana with a strike that felt straight out of a highlight reel, knocking over Virat Kohli with a sharp nip-backer that jagged back through the batter’s defence. The twist was that the plan for that exact length and movement reportedly came from Kohli himself. In a rain-affected IPL 2026 contest trimmed to 19 overs a side, LSG kept their playoff hopes breathing with a nail-biting nine-run win over Royal Challengers Bengaluru on Thursday.
Mitchell Marsh set the tone for Lucknow, blasting a brilliant century to drive the side to 209/3, but it was Prince’s late burst—figures of 3/33—that ultimately decided the game. The 24-year-old made the biggest breakthrough of the night when Kohli was still settling in, removing him with only his second delivery of the innings. After starting with an outswinging ball, Prince followed up with a 140.4 kmph delivery that cut back harshly off the pitch, catching Kohli in a defensive phase and sending the stumps cartwheeling.
After the match, Prince explained that the dismissal was not just instinct—it was rooted in a conversation from the previous encounter. He said he had briefly lost his composure early, but then committed to the same idea and trusted the ball’s movement. “I misfielded the first ball, but I knew I had to put it behind me and ensure I don't lose focus,” Prince said. He added that Kohli had given him a simple instruction: “After the last match I was talking to Virat bhaiya and he only told me — as long as it's moving around off a length, stick to that length.”
The wicket was also a personal landmark for Prince and a brutal moment for the RCB skipper-batter. Kohli fell for a duck, his first IPL scoreless outing since April 2023, and Prince’s celebrations spoke to the magnitude of the scalp.
Marsh’s century fuels LSG’s comeback
Earlier in the innings, Marsh delivered a completely dominant performance against the Bengaluru bowling attack, striking 111 off 56 balls. His innings featured nine fours and nine sixes, and it came at a time when Lucknow were desperate to snap a run of six consecutive defeats and also secure their first home victory of the season. Marsh attacked from the first over, carving into the likes of Josh Hazlewood and continuing to pile pressure as LSG built momentum.
Marsh raced to his fastest IPL half-century, reaching fifty in just 20 balls, as Lucknow surged to 95/0 within nine overs before rain briefly interrupted the rhythm. When play resumed, Marsh continued to carry the innings forward, putting together a 95-run opening stand with Arshin Kulkarni, and then adding another quick partnership with Nicholas Pooran. Captain Rishabh Pant finished the innings strongly, remaining unbeaten on 32 off 10 deliveries to give LSG a huge total to defend.
LSG defend revised target as Prince strikes again
With the chase adjusted to a revised target of 213, RCB were off to a shaky start, slipping to 9/2. Mohammed Shami struck first by removing Jacob Bethell, and Prince then struck to dismiss Kohli, turning the game’s momentum even further towards Lucknow. RCB fought back through a partnership of 95 runs, led by Rajat Patidar’s aggressive 61 and Devdutt Padikkal’s 34, but Prince returned at a crucial moment to push the chase off balance again. He removed Padikkal and Jitesh Sharma in the same spell, widening the gap and forcing RCB to chase from an increasingly difficult position.
Tim David, Krunal Pandya and Romario Shepherd attempted a late surge, but Lucknow’s control in the final moments held firm. Digvesh Rathi defended 20 runs in the last over, sealing a tense nine-run victory for LSG and keeping their playoff hopes alive.
